376 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [1839, 840, 841 



839. No. 215. Soil thrown up about 3 feet deep, in a small "Cutting-rush" 

 marsh, adjoining the premises of Alfred Lewis, Esq., West Pascagoula. 



This is one of the small marshes formed by branchlets heading in the 

 " meadows" or the " Gallberry flats" and "sand hommocks." 



Vegetation consists of the " Jonc coupant '', with scattered bushes of the 

 trees mentioned on p. 374. 



Where the marsh is in its natural condition, a pole may te pushed down to 

 the distance of 8 to 10 feet. The portion in which the soil was thrown up adjoins 

 the beach, is of a dark gray tint when dry, almost black when wet, and to the 

 eye appears to be little else than a mixture of marsh muck with sand. 



In attempting to cultivate this soil, Mr. Lewis found that both corn and rice 

 thrive finely up to a certain age, producing a large crop of leaves. When both 

 were about 15 inches high, the tops of the leaves began to turn yellow, and the 

 corn soon died out altogether ; the rice " spindled up " into a weakly stem, some 

 of which even bloomed, but did not fructify. 



Mr- Lewis further states, that the application of shell quicklime produced no 

 sensible difference in the result, during the season following its application. 



The soil, after saturation with moisture at 71. G deg. Fahr., lost 15.437 per 

 cent, of moisture, at 400 deg. The water obtained was somewhat acid, and 

 possessed a pungent, empyreumatic odor ; but contained only traces of ammonia. 

 The soil, dried at the above temperature, consisted of : 



Insoluble Sand and Silica 70.183 



Potash 0.559 



Soda 0.957 



Lime 0.109 



Magnesia 0.743 



Brown Oxide of Manganese 0.067 



Peroxide of Iron 1.171 



Alumina 5.894 



Phosphoric Acid 0.111 



Sulphuric Acid 0.176 



Organic Matter and Water 19.826 



99.796 



840. No. 220. Marsh Muck. — A partial analysis of the ranch of the same- 

 marsh, taken a short distance further inland, gave the following result : 



Insoluble Matter (feathery silica) 25.225 



Soluble Bases, Chlorine, etc 8.421 



Sulphuric Acid 0.347 



Organic Matter and Water 66.070 



100.000 



The solution of the fixed ingredients of this material showed but a very 

 slight reaction of chlorine ; proving that the sea-salt does not reach far inland, 

 and cannot, therefore, influence injuriously the growth of crops. 



841. No. 241. Soil from the marsh of Pearl River, taken about 30 yards from 

 the river bank, near Mr. Brown's mill, 2 miles below Pearlington. Thrown up 

 from a ditch 3 feet deep. 



This soil is very different in character from the other (^[839). Near the bank 

 of the river, it is simply a bluish-gray, stiff clay, apparently with but little 

 vegetable matter ; but further inland it becomes darker, and where the sample 

 was taken is black when moist, and becomes of a slate color when dry. It 

 contains very little sand, cuts with a shining surface, and is variegated with 

 irregular, dark-colored veins and specks, which on exposure to the air, become 

 yellow. 



According to Mr. Brown's statement, this soil, when laid dry, (which is very 



